


Not in the Job Description

by scatter



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-19
Updated: 2012-05-19
Packaged: 2017-11-05 14:55:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/407732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scatter/pseuds/scatter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dojima and a reluctant Yosuke choose swim trunks for Souji.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not in the Job Description

When Yosuke rounded the corner, the last thing he expected to see was Dojima-san sticking out like a sore thumb in the young men's section of Junes. Involuntarily, he stumbled to a halt. A couple of weeks ago, he wouldn't have given it a second thought to go up and see if he needed anything, but he hadn't known Souji then and, more importantly, he hadn't been dragged down to the precinct and lectured about causing a public disturbance. He weighed the need to be a good employee against the desire to sneak away and avoid any potential awkwardness, but he hesitated too long - Dojima, maybe sensing he was being watched, looked up and saw him.

With leaving no longer an option, Yosuke readied himself for uncomfortable small talk and strolled over, putting on his work smile. "Hello, Dojima-san," he said. "Anything I can help you with?"

Dojima looked embarrassed to have been noticed, clearing his throat roughly. "No. No, I'm fine, thank you."

"Alright." Relieved to have dodged that conversation, Yosuke started to leave. "If you need anything later..."

"Actually," Dojima said abruptly, as Yosuke turned away, "now that you mention it, I think I could use an opinion."

Yosuke sighed under his breath. It wasn't like he had anything against Dojima, but how was he supposed to act around Souji's uncle? It was like meeting his dad, only weirder. "Yeah?" he asked, turning back.

"I'm thinking of getting a gift for Souji. That's why I'm here," he said, gesturing to their surroundings.

"Yeah? His birthday coming up or something?"

"No, but it's Children's Day and--he's not a kid anymore, obviously, but I'm getting Nanako a little something and I thought... I thought he might enjoy getting something as well." He frowned at the ground, visibly flustered, and for a second Yosuke felt sorry for him. It must have been tough, having a guy like Souji come in and start living with him out of nowhere.

"That's nice," he said.

Dojima nodded stiffly. "Hope he thinks so too."

"So, clothes, huh?" Yosuke said for lack of anything better.

"Yes. I've already picked out a shirt for Nanako." Dojima pulled it out of his basket and spread it out so Yosuke make out the graphic on it. A platypus. Yosuke wasn't sure what to make of that. "And since Souji didn't seem to bring many clothes with him, this should be useful."

"That makes sense." Yosuke checked out the rack of clothes Dojima had been examining. "So you're looking at...shorts?"

"Swim trunks. For the summer." Dojima seemed to believe this was an inspired choice instead of the oddest thing Yosuke'd heard all day. "I doubt he gave it much thought, but we've got a river right here in town and the weather isn't bad once summer rolls around. He'll have plenty of chances to use them."

"That's... nice," Yosuke said. A little strange and not the first thing he would have chosen, but Dojima obviously hadn't just chosen the first thing he saw and that had to count for something. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it. I mean, a lot of parents don't even put that much thought into their gifts."

Dojima glanced at him questioningly and too late Yosuke realized that could have been taken as an invitation to a conversation he didn't want to happen. There was no way he was going to discuss his parents with Dojima. He quickly gestured to the trunks to cut off any possible questions. "Have you decided on anything yet? The selection isn't too great, we're not close enough to vacation to put out all the good stuff yet, but there are a couple of things out early."

Dojima picked up a pair of solid gray trunks. "There are these, but they're a bit--"

"Boring," Yosuke said immediately. Souji was already gray enough; those would only wash him out even more.

Dojima nodded. "Exactly. I'd like to get him something he wouldn't pick for himself."

"Well, he's kind of reserved, isn't he?" Yosuke might not have known Souji for long but he'd figured out that much already. "I wouldn't go crazy with it, but a little color can't hurt him. It'd probably do him good, actually."

Dojima nodded, putting down the trunks and pushing aside another, more brightly colored pair. Yosuke bit back the impulse to tell him not to mess the display up; he'd just fix it after Dojima left, the way he always had to with customers, and he didn't want to interrupt Dojima when it was clear he was thinking hard about something. Sure enough, a second later he asked, "You mind if I ask you something?"

Yosuke wasn't sure he liked the sound of that but it wasn't as if he could say no. "Go ahead."

"How's he been? At school, I mean?" Dojima eyed him closely, expression serious. "You two are friends, right?"

"Yeah, he's cool. He's great, nothing..." He shrugged, unsure exactly what kind of answer Dojima was looking for or exactly what the question was. "Why?"

"He seems like he's adjusting well, not missing home too badly or upset that he's here?"

"No, none of that." Okay, they weren't going to talk about his parents, but Yosuke supposed a conversation about Souji - the only thing they had in common - was inevitable. Still, it felt weird, talking about him like this. "Don't you two talk?"

"Of course we talk," Dojima said sharply, like he was an idiot, "but he's a teenager, they're all--nevermind."

Yosuke tried not to be offended.

"You think he'd tell me if he was miserable?"

"Maybe?" Yosuke ventured hesitantly, but Dojima went on as though he hadn't heard him.

"That'd make for good dinner conversation," he continued, frowning deepening. "I thought he might have said something to you that he won't to me."

"He's fine," Yosuke said, and set to refolding a pair of shorts just to keep his hands busy. He couldn't believe they were having this conversation. He should have stayed near the frozen dinners. "He hasn't said anything that makes me think otherwise, at least, and it seems like he's pretty comfortable, even with everything that's going on. He likes Nanako-chan."

"Yeah? That's good." Dojima took the shorts from him and set them back down in the wrong spot. "You mind doing me a favor?"

Resigning himself to the fact that he wasn't going to get out of this, Yosuke said, "No problem."

"Keep an eye out for him? Show him the ropes? Inaba's nothing like the city so he might run into a few problems getting used to things and it'll help, having someone who's been in the same situation giving him advice." Dojima sized him up. "You can do that, can't you?"

"Sure," he said, awkwardly. "Of course I can." Had his parents ever gone behind his back and done anything like this? He really hoped not.

"Good." Dojima smiled thinly. "Just don't get him into trouble swinging anymore weapons around."

"Yeah, no, that... Won't happen again," he promised, going red. It'd be nice if Dojima could just forget that ever happened. "Um, the trunks?"

"Right." Dojima cleared his throat, awkwardness back. "Any thoughts?"

Yosuke had a couple. He looked the choices over and help up a pair. "Pick these."

"You think?"

"Definitely." They were mostly dark, but there was stripe of green and some kind of funky design going down one of the legs, which was what caught Yosuke's eye. He wasn't entirely sure what it was supposed to be - an abstract animal shape, or maybe the machine had glitched and the company sent it out anyway, hoping no one would notice. Either way, it was the perfect way of getting back at Souji for making him have this conversation. Plus, he'd look funny in them. "It's got personality. He'll love it."

"Have to make sure I get the right size. It's no good if he has to come back and exchange it." Dojima eyed his waist. "You two look about the same size. What are you?"

Yosuke'd never had a guy try to size him up before. He flushed and dropped the trunks into Dojima's basket, adjusting his apron self-consciously. "Uh, medium? These should fit him."

"That's everything then." Dojima raised his hand and, after a moment of hesitation, gave Yosuke an unexpected clap on the back. "Thanks. For..."

"Yeah," Yosuke said, recovering. "Don't worry about it. Tell him I said hi, okay?"

Dojima nodded and left looking relieved to get away. Yosuke didn't blame him. He rubbed his shoulder and headed back to the freezer section. No one ever wanted to talk about their kid's problems there.

The next day, Souji told him, sounding puzzled, "Dojima-san gave me a pair of swim trunks last night. I said thank you but it was a little confusing."

Yosuke smiled. "What'd you think of them? Aren't they cool?"

Souji stared at him. "Oh, that's right, you work at Junes," he said, and then added slowly, like he was trying to make sense of it, "You and Dojima bought me shorts."

"Trunks," Yosuke corrected, "and you're welcome. Make sure you wear them because we went through a lot of trouble picking them out."

"Inaba's weird," Souji said after a moment.

"Yeah," Yosuke agreed, "I've noticed that, too."


End file.
